Weapon carrier

ABSTRACT

A weapon carrier mounted onto a belt or like member strapped to the user, and where the weapon, carried in a pivotal pocket, may be quickly and readily used without the necessity of removal from the carrier.

United States Patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,990,987 7/1961 Handler et al ..224/1 R X Vaughn 51 Oct. 24, 1972 [54] WEAPON CARRIER 3,268,130 8/1966 Simpson ..224/2 C [72] Inventor; Damon Vaughn, 1114 west 2,647,667 8/1953 Brown et al ..224/2 A Broadway Street Madisonville Ky P6110 R 42431 2,919,058 12/1959 Thompson ..224/1 R [22] Filed: Sept' 1970 Primary Examiner-Gerald M. Forlenza [21] Appl. No.: 71,912 Assistant Examiner-Jerold M. Forsberg Attorney-Warren D. Flackbert [52] U.S. Cl. ..224/2 A 511 lm. Cl. ..F41c 33/00 RA [58] Field of Search ..224/] R, l A, 2 A, 3 A weapon carrier mounted onto a belt or like member I 5 References Cited. strapped to the user, and where the weapon, earned in a pivotal pocket, may be quickly and readily used without the necessity of removal from the carrier.

4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures P'ATE'N'TEDncI 2 4 m2 3. 700 1,47

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- INVENTOR DFMOIY '4- l xwc/wv ATTORNEY WEAPON CARRIER As is known, it is desirable to have some sort of arrangement for carrying a weapon which frees the users hands. A type of such device is described and claimed in US. Pat. No. 3,107,833, entitled CARRYING CASE FOR FIREARM, and granted on Oct. 22, 1963 to the same inventor herein. Another form of firearm case is that described and claimed in U. S. Pat. No. 3,268,130, entitled FIREARM CASE, which was granted on Aug. 23, 1966 to Walter M. Simpson, the assignor of the inventor herein.

In any event, the firearm cases of the preceding patents mounted the weapon on the left side of the user and angled the weapon rearwardly during non-use, being designed for ready removal of the weapon, such as a rifle, for use. The invention herein represents an improvement over the prior arrangements in that the weapon carrier is disposed on either side of the user, with modification, and depending upon whether the user is right-handed or' left-handed, permitting quick forward pivoting to a position for use without the necessity of weapon removal. In other words, the users hands are free during normal carrying, where, in such instance, the weapon carrier may be tilted slightly rearwardly. When the need for the weapon becomes imminent, a ready forward rotation thereof results in a fast draw to a firing position. Releasable provisions are made for retaining the weapon in the carrier.

The invention will become more apparent from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the invention in a normal carrying or non-use position on the person of the user;

FIG. 2 is a view in front elevation, partly fragmentary, of the invention;

FIG. 3 shows the invention when looking towards the User;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing one form of invention assembly;

FIG. 5 is a view in front elevation of one portion of the mounting structure employed in FIG. 4; and,

FIG. 6 shows the mounting structure in an alternative position.

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications of the illustrated device and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

Referring now to the figures, the weapon carrier of the invention comprises a back member 12 having a weapon receiving pocket 14 pivotally positioned thereon, at its lower end, through a mounting structure 20. A weapon 16 is received in the pocket 14 and is typically retained in position by a spring metal band 17 which encircles the barrel thereof.

In a preferred form of the invention, the mounting structure 20 is of the type described and claimed in the aforesaid Simpson US. Pat. No. 3,268,130, incorporated by reference herein, such being defined by a torsion spring 20a disposed between a fixed mounting plate 20b and a movable mounting plate 200 (see FIGS. 4 and 5). The fixed mounting plate 20b is secured to the back member 12, the latter having a hem 12a thereon through'which a belt 21 of the user passes. Typically, conventional rivet members are employed to secure the fixed mounting plate 20b to the back member 12, as well as to mount movable mounting plate 200 to the back of the weapon receiving pocket 14.

While independent stop means (not shown) may be utilized to limit the forward rotational movement of the weapon carrier, such is inherent through the force of the torsion spring 20a in the mounting structure 20 (see the aforesaid Simpson U. S. Pat. No. 3,268,130).

In use, the weapon carrier is strapped to the user by means of belt 21 and is movable from the position of FIG. 1, in a clockwise direction, for instant use of the contained weapon 16. The weapon 16 does not have to be removed from the weapon carrier, thereby providing the desired fast draw action. Clockwise movement' of the weapon carrier is against the force of the torsion spring 20a of the mounting structure 20, and upon release of the carrier, such returns towards a normal carrying position of FIG. 1, i.e. tilted slightly towards the users shoulder.

In order to achieve tilting in the carrying position, the fixed mounting plate 20b and the movable mounting plate 200 of mounting structure 20 may be in alignment, but angled from normal on the back member 12 and the weapon receiving pocket 14. Further in this connection, with the back member 12 disposed vertically, and with the angled mounting structure 20, the proportioning of the band 17, the weapon receiving pocket 14, and/or the hem 12a, serve also to provide give for tilting.

In the arrangement of FIG. 6, the movable mounting plate 200 and the fixed mounting plate 20b are angled with respect to each other through the change of the position of a stop 20d within mounting structure 20.

It should be evident that the invention provides an important feature not available heretofore, i.e. permits use of the weapon 16 without the necessity of weapon removal. The springing of band 17, of course, allows the weapon 16 to be easily removed from the carrier. Obviously, the weapon carrier of the invention may be reproportioned or otherwise modified, and thus, the above description should be considered illustrative and not as limiting the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A weapon carrier comprising, in combination, a weapon, a back member, a weapon receiving pocket, a belt adapted to be disposed on the person of a user and carrying said back member on the side of the person of a user, releasable retaining means on said back member above said belt maintaining said weapon in said weapon receiving pocket, and means pivotally mounting said weapon receiving pocket onto said back member for forward movement with respect to the user, whereby said weapon can be used without removal from the carner.

2. The weapon carrier of claim 1 where said retaining means is a spring metal band.

3. The weapon carrier of claim 1 where said forward movement is limited by stop means.

4. The weapon carrier of claim 1 where said weapon carrier tilts towards the shoulder of said user during non-use. 

1. A weapon carrier comprising, in combination, a weapon, a back member, a weapon receiving pocket, a belt adapted to be disposed on the person of a user and carrying said back member on the side of the person of a user, releasable retaining means on said back member above said belt maintaining said weapon in said weapon receiving pocket, and means pivotally mounting said weapon receiving pocket onto said back member for forward movement with respect to the user, whereby said weapon can be used without removal from the carrier.
 2. The weapon carrier of claim 1 where said retaining means is a spring metal band.
 3. The weapon carrier of claim 1 where said forward movement is limited by stop means.
 4. The weapon carrier of claim 1 where said weapon carrier tilts towards the shoulder of said user during non-use. 